[ Today's Readings ]
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?
God is so ready to forgive us and welcome us back. He is so merciful we can scarcely believe it. At times we squander the blessings the LORD gives us. We take our inheritance and run. We all take all the blessings of our inheritance, blessings we are meant to use as a part of God's family, and run off to use them on selfish dissipation. How can he ever take us back? How can things be the same ever again? We have our speech ready. We're prepared to never be loved in the same way again.
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of you.
But we quickly learn that God wants us back even more than we want to return home.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
He shows us that his love for us is no less for all of our failures and faults. He just wants us home.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
We really do make mistakes. But God puts those sins as far as the east is from the west. He pardons them and redeems us and crowns us with kindness and compassion. He does not begrudge us our mistakes. He only hates sin because of how bad it is for the sinners whom he loves. In being forgiven we learn something which we might not have known. His love for us is not based on our ability to perform for him. He loves us because he is a Father and desires that we be his children.
The older son does not realize that everything the father has is his own. He is too busy working in the field trying to earn the father's love. It can be a tough to do all that work only to realize we were already perfectly loved to begin with. It is tough, that is, only to realization takes hold. When we know we are loved like that even our work in the field will be better and more faithful.
This morning let us realize a little bit more the love the Father has for us. If we have been far from him let us run back to him without hesitation knowing that he will welcome us. If we have been closer, but still not experiencing the joy of the Father's house, let us realize that everything he has is already ours. Let us celebrate the Father's love.
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